Once and now

District with a view: how it has developed

The aerial photograph shows Hungerburg in 1927.(Bild: Stadtarchiv Innsbruck)

A new book sheds light on the most sublime district of the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck. The authors talk about the exciting history and current challenges of the Hungerburg. 

Anyone who has ever stood on the Hungerburg overlooking Innsbruck will always remember the impressive view of the provincial capital. A new book traces the special charm of this sublime place between nature and the city.

The old valley station of the Hungerburgbahn.(Bild: Stadtarchiv Innsbruck)

The first carriages of the old Hungerburgbahn. They met in the Abt'schen turnout.(Bild: Stadtarchiv Innsbruck)

Together with the former director of the Brenner Archive Research Institute, Johann Holzner, historian Matthias Egger has published the book "Hungerburg. Architecture - Culture - Nature" (Universitätsverlag Wagner). The book, which is filled with many interesting photos, takes a comprehensive historical journey, tells of planned, built and destroyed architectural jewels as well as of ambitious tourist plans.

The Hungerburg bike race around 1970.(Bild: Stadtarchiv Innsbruck/Frischauf)

In 1938, Joseph Goebbels visited Innsbruck and took the train up the Seegrube to great acclaim.(Bild: Stadtarchiv Innsbruck)

On November 7, 1914, a fire destroyed the "Karwendelhof". The picture shows the ruins of the fire.(Bild: Stadtarchiv Innsbruck)

The comparison of the townscape of the past and present, to which one chapter of the book is dedicated, is also fascinating. The history of the Hungerburgbahn, which began at the beginning of the 20th century and was not the only pioneering project in the district, is also included. The question of the origin of the name Hungerburg is also fascinating. There are many stories and legends surrounding its origins.